Whisky Focus - Bladnoch 2024 Single Cask Collection Reviews

Bladnoch, Scotland’s southernmost distillery, has released its 2024 Single Cask Collection of Lowland single malt Scotch whiskies.

This release marks the conclusion of a five-year series, with the Bladnoch 2024 Single Cask Collection featuring six distinctive single cask, single malt whiskies. Each one has been carefully selected by Dr. Nick Savage, Bladnoch’s Master Distiller, to highlight some of the distillery’s finest casks.

The annual release collection underscores the distillery’s taste-first approach to whisky making, blending a variety of cask types and aged spirits to offer a diverse array of taste profiles.

With a rich history spanning over two centuries, Bladnoch Distillery’s new single cask range draws from the exceptional spirit aged in its 207-year-old bluestone warehouses, situated on the banks of the River Bladnoch in Scotland’s Lowland whisky region.

The legacy of the brand has seen a revival in recent years, now led by Dr. Nick Savage and owner David Prior, who acquired Bladnoch Distillery in 2015, becoming the first Australian businessman to own a Scotch whisky distillery. The 2024 Single Cask Collection marks a significant milestone for the distillery, featuring two single cask releases distilled in 2017 under the new ownership.

Each whisky in the single cask range is unique in cask type and rarity, bottled at cask strength, and non-chill filtered with natural colour.

Dr Nick Savage, Master Distiller at Bladnoch Distillery, said: "Our taste-first philosophy, rooted in our whisky-making knowledge provides us with the freedom to explore a wide array of cask types and vintages to demonstrate the breadth and quality of the distillery’s maturing stock and showcase our bold Galloway spirit.

"There is an incredible breadth of taste experiences within this year’s selection, from the sweet, floral notes of the first single cask whisky to the herbal, nutty, oak characteristics of the final vintage single malt whisky.

"Only the most remarkable casks which have displayed exceptional, unique characteristics or extraordinary maturation have been selected from our 207-year-old bluestone warehouses to craft the Bladnoch 2024 Single Cask Collection."

The Bladnoch 2024 Single Cask Collection whiskies are:

• Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/01 the first release in the collection, described as a sweet and refreshing single malt distilled in 2017 and matured in a sherry butt cask. With an ABV of 57.6%, it presents floral, sweet notes with hints of apple crumble and is limited to 219 bottles.
   
• Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/02 said to impart sweet notes of creamy soda, lemons and coconut and a sweet, dry finish, the expression was distilled in 2007 and matured in a single bourbon barrel. It has an ABV of 52.6% and is limited to 170 bottles.
   
• Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/03 described as a sweet and smoky peated whisky distilled in 2017 and matured in a canasta butt cask. With an ABV of 58.3%, it displays smoky notes on the nose and flavours of bonfire toffee apples and apricots on the palate and is limited to 676 bottles. (See My Review Below)
   
• Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/04 this single malt is said to reveal popcorn, minty and creamy notes and a sweet and creamy finish. Distilled in 2008 and matured in a bourbon barrel, it has an ABV of 51.2% and is limited to 237 bottles.
   
• Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/05 described as a dry whisky imparting chocolate, coffee bean and nutmeg aromas and herbal spice with dark chocolate flavours and has an ABV of 49.9%. It was distilled in 2006 and matured in a sherry butt cask and is limited to 660 bottles. (See My Review Below)
   
• Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/06 the final release in this year’s collection, is an extraordinary vintage single malt whisky described as having notes of floral pinecones with walnuts on the nose and almonds with plum jam on the palate. Distilled in 2001 and matured in an Amontillado sherry hogshead cask, this exclusive release has an ABV of 50.1% and is limited to 281 bottles.

The first five whiskies in the collection have a recommended retail selling price (RRSP) of £160, while the rare vintage Bladnoch Single Cask 2024/06 is priced at £450. These will be available on Bladnoch.com in the UK before becoming accessible in international markets including Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Taiwan.

The Bladnoch 2024 Single Cask Collection concludes the five-year series, setting the stage for future releases from the distillery. A new single cask collection, heralding the start of a new series, will be introduced in 2025.

You will find the current Bladnoch whisky range available from specialist online whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops

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